# Al Gore invented the Internet? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [March 8, 2000, 10:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/al-gore-invented-the-internet/17965 "2000-03-08T22:34:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Keeves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/f05b48/32.png) [@Keeves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Keeves)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2000, 10:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/al-gore-invented-the-internet/17965/1 "2000-03-08T22:34:00Z")
This alleged quote has been floating around for some time, but I don’t know where it came from. Exactly what did he say, that makes people claim he took credit for inventing the Internet? ---
**Author:** ![billehunt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/c37758/32.png) [@billehunt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/billehunt)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2000, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/al-gore-invented-the-internet/17965/2 "2000-03-08T22:44:00Z")
“During my service in the United States Congress, I took the initiative in creating the Internet.”— Albert Gore on CNN’s “Late Edition with Wolf Blitzer” (March 9, 1999). ---
**Author:** ![billehunt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/c37758/32.png) [@billehunt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/billehunt)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2000, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/al-gore-invented-the-internet/17965/3 "2000-03-08T22:47:00Z")
The Internet originated as the ARPANET in 1969. That would put Al at 21 and eight years away from his first term in Congress. ---
**Author:** ![Dragwyr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dragwyr/32/2855_2.png) [@Dragwyr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dragwyr)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2000, 11:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/al-gore-invented-the-internet/17965/4 "2000-03-08T23:04:00Z")
According to the following url: [http://www.isoc.org/internet-history/brief.html#Origins](http://www.isoc.org/internet-history/brief.html#Origins) “The first recorded description of the social interactions that could be enabled through networking was a series of memos written by J.C.R. Licklider of MIT in August 1962 discussing his “Galactic Network” concept.” Also… “In late 1966 (Lawrence G) Roberts went to DARPA to develop the computer network concept and quickly put together his plan for the “ARPANET”, publishing it in 1967.” There is much MUCH more at this site and NOWHERE do I see Al Gore’s name. * * * -Dragwyr “If God had meant for man to eat waffles, he would have given him lips like snowshoes” -Rev. Billy C. Wirtz ---
**Author:** ![Arnold\_Winkelried](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Arnold\_Winkelried](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arnold_Winkelried)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2000, 11:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/al-gore-invented-the-internet/17965/5 "2000-03-08T23:12:00Z")
Poorly phrased, he was trying to say that he helped pass laws that facilitated the use of the Internet for the common folk (in a march 1999 CNN interview.) But since Al Gore had the reputation in some circles of exaggerating his accomplishments, and also because he was supposed to be technically savvy (I believe he wrote some columns for Byte magazine in the early 1990’s), his statement was met with widespread derision. ---
**Author:** ![Cooper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/50afbb/32.png) [@Cooper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cooper)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2000, 11:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/al-gore-invented-the-internet/17965/6 "2000-03-08T23:46:00Z")
Most of the derision comes from people who don’t know what they are talking about. Comparing ARPANET of 1969 to the Internet to 1992 is apples to oranges - its barely the same thing. The entire demographic had changed from mostly military to mostly educational - with commercial use finally visible on the horizon. What Al Gore had a direct impact on was the realization of a commercial and consumer internet. Perhaps he stated this a bit poorly, but I think even his statement can be defended on the grounds that the internet _as it exists now_ owes credit to the legislation he helped pass. It owes more credit to Tim Berners-Lee for taking the conceptual leap from Hyptertext to the WWW, as well as many other technology pioneers. Obviously it was built on the backbone of TCP/IP (circa, 1979 ?) and technology that dates back to 1962 (or 1910, if you want to play these games) - but I don’t see anyone giving Alexander Graham Bell credit for the internet just because he invented the telephone. ---
**Author:** ![Keeves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/f05b48/32.png) [@Keeves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Keeves)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2000, 1:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/al-gore-invented-the-internet/17965/7 "2000-03-09T13:59:00Z")
Thanks, all. > [@](#): > > Poorly phrased, he was trying to say that he helped pass laws that facilitated the use of the Internet for the common folk Anyone care to offer a vague summary of what those laws said? ---
**Author:** ![jwg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/df788c/32.png) [@jwg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jwg)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2000, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/al-gore-invented-the-internet/17965/8 "2000-03-09T16:26:00Z")
He didn’t say “…I helped pass laws…,” he said he invented the internet. Isn’t everyone sick of out right lies being explained away? ---
**Author:** ![Diceman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Diceman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diceman)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2000, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/al-gore-invented-the-internet/17965/9 "2000-03-09T16:43:00Z")
…which pretty much proves the point that he tends to exagerate his acomplishments. * * * –It was recently discovered that research causes cancer in rats. ---
**Author:** ![Arnold\_Winkelried](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Arnold\_Winkelried](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arnold_Winkelried)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2000, 6:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/al-gore-invented-the-internet/17965/10 "2000-03-10T06:19:00Z")
Albert Gore’s quote: “During my service in the United States Congress, I took the initiative in creating the Internet.” In this (unflattering) article about Albert Gore’s contributions to technology-related legislation from [Wired magazine](http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/7.12/gorecard.html) > [@](#): > > High-Performance Computing and Communications Act (1991) > Before major political figures, or even most everyday people, cared about the Net, then-Senator Gore pushed the development of a first-of-its-kind high-bandwidth network intended to carry 3-D graphic images and large data files generated by supercomputers. Three billion dollars flooded the program, and by 1996 the National Research and Education Network was able to transfer 1 gigabyte of data. NREN is a web of federal networks that exists as part of what is now known as the Internet. After appropriations ran out in 1996, the 1998 Next-Generation Internet Research Act was signed into law to update HPCC and authorize additional funds to build a terabyte-capable network for governmental and academic research and technology development. You can read the article and make up your own mind. My personal opinion is that Albert Gore’s statement was misleading, but he did have some influence in passing legislation that helped make the Internet what it is today. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Zambezi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7cd45c/32.png) [@Mr.Zambezi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Zambezi)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2000, 6:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/al-gore-invented-the-internet/17965/11 "2000-03-10T06:28:00Z")
What about discovering Love Canal, being under fire in Nam, being the subject of “Love Story.” ? In context of other outrageous comments by Algore, it shows a trend of outrageous exaggereation. ---
**Author:** ![jwg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/df788c/32.png) [@jwg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jwg)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2000, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/al-gore-invented-the-internet/17965/12 "2000-03-09T23:34:00Z")
You could say Gore sponsored the internet, or promoted, or encouraged it, but he sure as hell did not invent or “create” it. His statement was and is simply a lie. How about his father teaching him to clear 40 acres with a team of mules? or clearing the woods with a double bladed axe? When was this? 1965? 1865? Dad didn’t own a tractor? No chain saw? Next Bush will take credit for inventing barbecue. * * * what? ---
**Author:** ![Cooper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/50afbb/32.png) [@Cooper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cooper)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2000, 12:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/al-gore-invented-the-internet/17965/13 "2000-03-10T00:44:00Z")
He did not say he invented it. He did not say he created it. He said he took the initiative in creating it. As has been shown, his actions had a direct impact in the creation of the commercial and consumer internet. Since no one in congress can be said to have taken more initiative than he in this endeavor, he can make this claim. The veracity of this particular claim has nothing to do with the veracity of any other claims he may or may not have made. It must be evaluated objectively. Of coures, most people are not interested in the truth of this matter, they want to slam Gore. I don’t like Al Gore, I don’t want him as my president, and truthfully I think this legislation was a mistake. However, the statement is true. ---
**Author:** ![Major\_Feelgud](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/3be4f8/32.png) [@Major\_Feelgud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Major_Feelgud)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2000, 7:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/al-gore-invented-the-internet/17965/14 "2000-03-10T07:23:00Z")
The quote made him sound like a fucking idiot in technical circles. People still make fun of it. ---
**Author:** ![egkelly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/db5fbb/32.png) [@egkelly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/egkelly)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2000, 3:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/al-gore-invented-the-internet/17965/15 "2000-03-10T15:03:00Z")
I heard an interesting story connected with (Gore) claiming to have invented the internet: anyway, as for the convention of internet/website addresses: Gore claimed that the “[dot.com](http://dot.com)” address convention was adopted because he had a sister named “Dorothy”-hence the “dot”! This is a real howler! Shows how utterly shameless he is-he probably thinks he really did have some contribution to the net. ---
**Author:** ![Wendell\_Wagner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8491ac/32.png) [@Wendell\_Wagner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wendell_Wagner)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2000, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/al-gore-invented-the-internet/17965/16 "2000-03-10T15:28:00Z")
> [@](#): > > Originally posted by egkelly: > Gore claimed that the “[dot.com](http://dot.com)” address convention was adopted because he had a sister named “Dorothy”-hence the “dot”! This story is so ridiculous that I have to assume that either (a) it’s simply a lie that’s being spread about Gore, or (b) it’s a joke that Gore once made spoofing his claim about inventing the Internet, or © it’s a joke someone else made about Gore which later got misunderstood as if it were a true story. If you have a source for Gore ever making this claim seriously, cite it. ---
**Author:** ![Cooper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/50afbb/32.png) [@Cooper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cooper)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2000, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/al-gore-invented-the-internet/17965/17 "2000-03-10T15:44:00Z")
> [@](#): > > The quote made him sound like a fucking idiot in technical circles. People still make fun of it. Tell me more about these technical circles. Did you hear this on CNN or MSNBC? ---
**Author:** ![SoMoMom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/41988e/32.png) [@SoMoMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SoMoMom)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2000, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/al-gore-invented-the-internet/17965/18 "2000-03-10T16:07:00Z")
> [@](#): > > Originally posted by billehunt: > **"During my service in the United States Congress, I took the initiative in creating the Internet."— Albert Gore on CNN’s “Late Edition with Wolf Blitzer” (March 9, 1999).** That does not sound like a claim to invention to me. In something as complex as the internet, some peoples got the technical know-how, some peoples got the law-making abilities, and some peoples got the money. I read that and think he said that he learned about the internet and did what he could to get it going. But yes, I agree, it is poorly worded, because some might think he thought he invented it. ---
**Author:** ![jwg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/df788c/32.png) [@jwg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jwg)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2000, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/al-gore-invented-the-internet/17965/19 "2000-03-10T16:21:00Z")
Assuming the quote"…I took the initiative in creating the internet…" is correct, let’s examine what that means. First of all, his emphasis is not on the internet, but on his actions. His claim is that he went first, the internet is just an example of his leadership. That is actually responsive to the original question - too bad it is a lie. “…I took the initiative…” would mean that no one else was doing anything, things were standing still or somehow non-existent. Otherwise that would not be taking the initiative, would it? The use of “I” is also exclusive by definition. He could have said “we,” or “I, among others,” or something like that. By any reasonable definition of these words, no one else was involved in this. “…in creating the Internet…” is the object of his initiative. Again, “…creating the internet…” does not mean sponsoring, promoting, or supporting, or encouraging, or helping, or enabling. Al says he created it. Sorry. That’s it. He created it. He could have said something like “Without the legislation I introduced, we would not have the Internet as we know it today.” I would accept that, even though I think others would have stepped in to do something similar. But he didn’t say that, did he? ---
**Author:** ![Cooper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/50afbb/32.png) [@Cooper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cooper)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2000, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/al-gore-invented-the-internet/17965/20 "2000-03-10T17:00:00Z")
> [@](#): > > “…I took the initiative…” would mean that no one else was doing anything, things were standing still or somehow non-existent. Otherwise that would not be taking the initiative, would it? So there is another congressmen who think took the initiative? It would be pretty silly to think Al Gore meant that he took the initiative outside his sphere of influence or expertise - but then it would not be the first silly thing I’ve read on this message board or in this topic. Again, I don’t think you need to qualify the remark with ‘the internet as it is now’. What other internet would you be talking about on Wolf Blitzer other than the internet that Wolf Blitzer and 99% of his viewers know about? This internet did not exist in 1991 and came about partially thanks to Al Gore’s efforts. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/al-gore-invented-the-internet/17965.md?page=2)